Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds

Here is one of the easiest ways to prepare brussels sprouts—parboiled for a few minutes, and then sautéed in butter with onions, and tossed with lemon juice and toasted almonds. So good!

The trick to delicious brussels sprouts is to not overcook them. The minute they are overcooked they turn bitter. Cooked just right brussels sprouts are still a little crunchy and have a wonderful nutty flavor to them.

Method

1 Bring 2 quarts of salted water (1 Tbsp of salt) to a rolling boil. Add the brussels sprouts and parboil them for 3 minutes or until just tender. (You could also steam them if you prefer.) They should be almost cooked all the way through (split one in half to test). Remove the sprouts with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water for a minute to shock the brussels sprouts and help them retain their bright green color. Remove them from the ice water and cut the sprouts into halves.

2 Heat 2-3 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp more of butter and the brussels sprouts halves. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for several more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, while the brussels sprouts are cooking. Do not overcook! Overcooked brussels sprouts are bitter and are the main reason why some people don't like them.

3 Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and half of the toasted almonds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in serving dish and garnish with the rest of the toasted almonds.